This invention relates generally to sporting device simulators and, more particularly, to a method and electronic simulation apparatus that provides a realistic electronic gaming experience using a handheld gaming device such as, in an exemplary embodiment, a golf club shaft and simulation apparatus.
The market for electronic gaming systems is enormous—there are 1.2 billion electronic gamers worldwide, 700 million playing online games and an estimated 120 million playing golf related games once a week or more. While sports-related games are the first to come to mind when thinking of “gaming,” it is understood that non-sporting related games are also popular that require a gamer to swing an object. For instance, games may simulate swinging an axe, a sword, a weapon, or the like. Sports, however, provide a good example and will be referenced more particularly in the following disclosure.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that actually influences gamers to actually try a sport and train the user regarding the skills and techniques of the sport. In an exemplary embodiment that will be referenced throughout this disclosure, it would be desirable to have a golf club simulation apparatus that combines the thrill of sports simulation with the physical experience of actually swinging a real golf club. Further, it would be desirable to have a golf club simulation apparatus that is able to change its weight distribution and shaft flexibility/bend so as to simulate the actual feel of selected clubs. In addition, it would be desirable to have a golf club simulation apparatus that trains a user the proper angle of shaft orientation for each of a selectable number of clubs while using only a fixed length club (or a limited variable length club) which allows for swinging indoors without ceiling height restrictions.
Although golf is a popular game, the number of people actually playing real golf on a golf course has stagnated in recent years for a number of reasons, including (1) the difficulty of the game without significant practice or game play, and (2) the significant amount of time required for learning proper swing techniques. Simply playing casual video games with traditional interfaces (such as with mouse clicks and joysticks) does not teach realistic swing technique that will encourage gamers to develop actual game skills and then to go out and play the game.
Further, traditional golf simulators have attempted to simulate a golf game through computer software and even using a hand-held device in the nature of a wand. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices focus on the visual representations of respective golf courses, hypothetical wind and geographic conditions, and timing of swinging a simulated golf club. The existing golf simulation products do not enable a user to feel and experience the actual length, weight, swing speed/resistance, and impact of actually striking a golf ball. For instance, casual video games, such as on smart phones, online games, and console games, are not effective to teach real golf game skills or to encourage gamers to actually play the game with real golf clubs. Conversely, golf swing training devices require the use of real clubs along with optic technologies including cameras.
One major limitation of electronic golf games is the inability to calculate and show the actual trajectory of a golf ball impacted by the “virtual swing” of a golf club. In other words, if an actual shaft or wand is being swung or if a ball strike is just a matter of pressing a keyboard button or clicking a mouse, the speed, angle, rotation, and other parameters are not captured, calculated, or applied to an impact with a virtual target object—in this case, a golf ball.
More particularly, existing devices are incapable of associating the position, speed, and rotational characteristics of the swinging object (for example, a golf club) with a target object or landmark (for example, a “virtual” golf ball). The present invention provides these limitations of the prior art as will be described below.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus for simulating a gaming event (such as golf) having an inertial measurement unit (“IMU”) that is configured to detect and generate rate of acceleration data and angular rotation data of a gaming device. In an exemplary embodiment, the gaming device may be a shaft indicative of a golf club. Further, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus for simulating a gaming event having an optics assembly associated with the gaming device that includes an image sensor in communication with the IMU and a target object displaced from the image sensor. Together, the image sensor and IMU data may be used to calculate a virtual trajectory of the target object having been impacted or interacted by the gaming device (e.g. golf club).